If you didn't know I was neurotic before reading this post, you will shortly. :)
One of the great passions of my life is oral hygiene. I haven't always been this way, but somewhere along the line in college the spirit convicted me. Growing up, my family always had their bi-annual dental checkups, and although I always took alright care of my teeth, I usually had at least one cavity.
But it all changed one day in college. I was at a meeting of Outreach, OC's missions club, and for some reason the speaker asked anyone who flossed daily to raise their hand. Out of a room of 50+ students, only one girl raised her hand! I mean, I flossed a couple of times a week, but not every day. I became convinced that this was gross and I must change immediately. So since then I have been a daily flosser. My favorite floss is the plain, waxed, mint kind from Johnson and Johnson, but some others can substitute.
From the daily flossing grew the habit of brushing my teeth thoroughly. At one point in college I would use an electric toothbrush then follow up with a manual toothbrush, although now I'm down to just a manual, but boy what a toothbrush it is!!! I just bought a new one the other day, and decided to upgrade, so I got the Oral B CrossAction Vitalizer. I am already super-impressed and recommend it to everyone. My gums already look a healthier pink.
Along with brushing goes toothpaste, of course. And I happened to run out this week, so I had the pleasure of choosing new toothpaste, which is fun but high pressured for me. I ended up choosing Colgate Total. My priority in toothpaste choice is tatar and plaque control, although the market shows that most people care about whitening. I care about whitening, but for some reason I'm distrustful of whitening toothpastes.
Last but not least is the piece de resistance... Listerine! I can already hear some of you moaning, but really, this is a fabulous product. I think I started using Listerine on the advice of my roommate, Tomoko's, mother. I really find it quite the miracle product. It keeps breath fresh (no nasty morning breath when you wake up), kills germs, and I believe keeps you healthier. I know it burns, but that just means it's working!!! ;)
It is my hope that at least one loyal reader will take inspiration from this blog, and make a positive change in their dental upkeep habits. No telling how much you could save in time, money, and pain if you take simple precautions now! AND I heard on TV the other day that regular brushing and flossing reduces the likelihood of a heart attack. Not really sure about the science of that, but an actual doctor wearing scrubs on TV said it. :)
So go on, make the time and relatively tiny financial investment and do something good for yourself!
3 comments:
oh my word! you need to go to Brasil, bad!
I've never managed to maintain a regular flossing habit. I do brush twice a day very thoroughly and rinse with Listerine. I, too, love Listerine.
I like Aquafresh's Extreme Clean toothpaste. A little goes a long way, though! I think my teeth are pretty white, but since I've started drinking coffee more regularly, I have become a little more concerned with maintaining that.
Seriously, grad school left its stains on my teeth via the buckets of coffee I drank.
And as far as Listerine goes... I love the stuff. But what I love more, and what I swear has kept me cavity free for years...Hydrogen Peroxide. That's right, I gargle it. My grandmother has never had a cavity in her life. She'll mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide into a paste and brush with that about once every two weeks.
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